Driving and positioning mechanism for a machine for operating about the edge of a mattress or similar article



Dec. 29, 1959 F. E. KALNING ETAL 2,918,884

DRIVING AND POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR A MACHINE FOR OPERATING ABOUT THE EDGE OF A MATTRESS OR SIMILAR ARTICLE Filed Nov. 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I E Jig/M74 2 /71 I Iii-1i-ii-i-i-i-i-i-i-rfii-ii Q21" 1 If T/l W 7 Yfz M Dec. 29, 1959 KALNING ETAL 2,918,884

DRIVING AND POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR A MACHINE FOR OPERATING ABOUT THE EDGE OF A MATTRESS OR SIMILAR ARTICLE Filed NOV. 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Dec. 29; 1959 KALNlNG EIAL 2,918,884

DRIVING AND POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR A MACHINE FOR OPERATING ABOUT THE EDGE OF A MATTRESS OR SIMILAR ARTICLE Filed NOV. 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 T Ii 0 g 1/ IX Z? I 1 M Y W w flak/ll! Dec. 29, 1959 KALNlNG ETAL 2,918,884

DRIVING AND POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR A MACHINE FOR QPERATING ABOUT THE EDGE OF A MATTRESS OR SIMILAR ARTICLE Filed Nov. 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

United States Patent DRIVING AND POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR A MACHINE FOR OPERATING ABOUT THE EDGE OF A MATTRESS OR SHVIILAR ARTICLE Frederick E. Kalning and Harold A. Kibitz, Quincy,

Mass., assignors to United Mattress Machinery Company, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application November 15, 1957, Serial No. 696,779

8 Claims. (Cl. 112-3) The present invention relates to improvements in a machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similar article and is herein disclosed as embodied in a mattress tape edge machine.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a simple and improved mechanism for transferring the operation of the machine around the edge of a table and mattress or similar article mounted thereon.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simplified and improved means for accurately positioning and guiding the machine about the edge of the supporting table and mattress which cooperates in a most efiicient manner with the mechanism provided for transferring the operation of the machine about the table and mattress.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel and improved lock-stop device under the control of the operator for locking the machine in a fixed position on the table.

With these and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear a feature of the invention consists in the provision of a stationary chain which cooperates with a driving pinion within the base of the sewing machine to transfer the machine about the edge of the supporting table and mattress mounted thereon. The chain is supported at each corner of the table on a corner sprocket or segment thereof fixedly mounted on the table. The driving pinion which engages with the chain is mounted within the base or carriage of the machine, the chain being guided around the driving pinion and around a spring tensioned take-up roller within the base of the machine so that a substantial wrap of the chain around the driving pinion is provided which assures that the driving pinion will at all times be properly engaged with and track on the chain. The take-up roller is maintained under a substantial tension which ensures that the chain is at all times held in a tightened relation to the table and driving pinion.

A further feature of the invention consists in an improved arrangement of the guide rollers and casters by means of which the machine is guided and positioned with relation to the edge of the supporting table" and mattress mounted thereon. In the illustrated constructionthe trailing roller is'rigidly mounted in position'on the base of the machine andis arranged to engage against a'- cam contoured only on that side of the corner which new reachedi The machine is further provided adjac'e'nt th'e leading edge thereof with a second positioning roller which is spring loaded and is arranged to contact tlie'outer face of an angle iron track which is rounded on a substantial radius at the corner. The carriage is thus held yieldably in position by the thrust of the spring pressed leading roller which causes the carriage to be biasedoutwardly away from the table against the support provided by an inside roller' which engages the inner face ofthe angle iron'track.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provisionof an improved lock-stop control for the machine which will permit theoperator to utilize the kneepad ice ' sprocket thus locking the sprocket in position with relation to the chain. This locking device is constructed and arrangedto operate in combination with a manually operable clutch control arm which is'so arranged that the locking pincan be moved into locking position only after the control arm and clutch have been moved to the disengaged position and which will prevent the shifting of the control arm and clutch to the engaged position until after the pin has been withdrawn.

The several features of the invention consist alsoin the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: I

Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of a tape edge sewing machine and a portion of the mattress supporting table associated therewith illustrating in a preferred form the several features of the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on a line 2-2 of Fig. 1 illustrating particularly the guiding and supporting means for the sewing machine together with the stationary sprocket chain and associated pinions carried by the machine for transferring the machine about the edge of the table; 7

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the sewing machine in position half-way around one of the corners of the table;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View taken on a line 4-4 of Fig. l, but on an enlarged scale to illustrate particularly the spring loaded take-up pinion for the sprocket chain;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on a line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on a line 66 of Fig. 1' illustrating particularly portions of the machine drive and the mechanism for disengaging and locking the machine against movement along the table edge;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on a line 77 of Fig. 6 illustrating particularly the manual control arm for disengaging the machine feed clutch; and

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on a line 8 8 of Fig. 6 to illustrate particularly the operation of the locking pin for locking the machine in position at the table edge.

The invention is herein disclosed in a preferred form as embodied in a tape edge machine of the general type having a sewing head 20 and a downwardly extending base 22 which is mounted by means of suitable supporting and guiding devices for movement about the edge of a rectangular table 24. The sewing mechanism of' the machine may be of ordinary construction and is therefore illustrated only in outline in Fig. l.

The guiding and supporting means on which the machine is moved about the table edge comprises aguide rail 2 !.-shaped in cross section, which extends entirely around the edge of the rectangular table 24 substantially below the working top surface thereof, and a second guide rail 23 extending about the table edge somewhat above the floor level. The guide rail 26 and the guide rail 28 are'both' rigidly mounted on the four legs of the base of the table, one of said legs being illustrated in Fig. 1 at 3-9.

The weight of themachine is carried on two casters 32' and 34, each of which comprises a roller pivoted on a horizontally extending arm, the caster 32 being mount:-

ed on an a'r'rri' 36' adapted'to swivel about a vertical' pivot 37 and the caster 34 being mounted on an arm 38 similarly swiveled on a vertical pivot 39. The caster arms 36 and 38 are mounted to swivel from the straight line position shown in Fig. 2 when the machine 20 is moving along a straight edge portion of the table, to an extended angular position of about 45 from the normal position during the movement of the machine about one of the corners of the table, as particularly illustrated in Fig. 3. The casters 32 and 34 are provided with side flanges so that they will be held at all times on the top edge of the L-shaped guide rail 26 particularly shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. A stop screw 150 on the machine base 22 is adapted for engagement with caster arm 36 to limit movement of same clockwise as shown in Fig. 2. As best shown by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3, the sewing machine 20 is constructed and arranged to move normally in a clockwise direction about the table, viewed in plan, so that the caster 32 may be described as the trailing caster and the caster 34 as the leading caster of the pair.

The sewing machine 20 is further supported and guided in relation to the table by means of a guide roll 42 which is mounted on a vertical pivot extending downwardly from the lower end of the machine base 22, and is arranged for engagement with the outer surface of the guide rail 28. A stop plate 44 is secured to the under side of the carriage 22 and extends beneath the lower guide rail 28. These parts, however, are normally out of engagement. The plate 44 is arranged to prevent the sewing machine 20 and carriage 22 from rocking or jumping out of position sulficiently to disengage the flanged caster rolls 32 and 34 from the supporting rail 26.

In the illustrated machine, the mechanism for advancing the machine about the table edge comprises a stationary sprocket chain 46 which extends entirely around the edge of the table somewhat below the level of the guideway 26 and is supported at each of the four corners of the table by means of a sprocket segment 48 secured to the underside of the guideway 26. The sprocket chain 46 is arranged to pass around a plurality of pinions mounted Within the base 22 of the sewing machine 20.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the sprocket chain 46 is guided first around a driving sprocket 50, being thus guided away from its straight line position along the edge of the table and providing a wrap of the chain around approximately one-third of the circumference of the driving sprocket i Thence the chain passes around a spring-loaded pinion 52 freely mounted to turn on a pivot pin 53 between the upper and lower arms of a U-shaped bracket 54 within the base 22 of the machine. Finally the chain 46 passes around an idler pinion 56 mounted within the base 22 of the machine and is thus returned to its straight line table edge position. The sliding bracket 54 on which the chain takeup pinion 52 is mounted is supported to slide within a bracket 58 and is forced yieldably to the left as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by means of a compression spring 61 seated at one end against the bracket 58 and at its other end against a header provided by the folded outer end 62 of the U-shaped bracket 54.

The mechanism by means of which the driving pinion 50 is driven, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, comprises a downwardly extending drive shaft 64 which has sleeved and keyed thereto one element 66 of a toothed clutch which is arranged when the element 66 is in a depressed position for engagement with a driving clutch element 68 carried on the output shaft 76 of a gear box 72. An input shaft 74 of said gear box is adapted to be driven by means of a pulley 76 and belt 78 from a pulley 80 on a driving motor 82 carried in the base 22 of the machine. The drive is effected from the pulley 76 through a clutch 84 having a driving member slidably keyed to the shaft and arranged to be shifted into and out of operating position by means of a knee pad 86 carried on the end of a plunger 88, the other end of which is connected to a clutch control lever 9t) pivoted at its upper end at 92 on the machine base 22 and intermediate its length connected with a shoe 94 riding in a groove in the clutch member 84.

The illustrated machine is provided with a manual control device for disengaging the machine feed clutch 66, 68 and with a lock-stop device also under the control of the operator for locking the sewing machine against movement along the table edge While the machine feed clutch 66, 68 is disengaged. The manual feed clutch control and lock stop devices are disposed with relation to one another in such a manner as to permit the shifting of the lock-stop device to the locking position only when the feed clutch 66, 68 is disengaged and to permit the clutch to be re-engaged only when the locking device has been restored to its inoperative position, Referring specifically to Figs. 6 and 7 the manual control device for disengaging the machine feed clutch 66, 63 comprises a vertically disposed manual control arm 95 which, adjacent its lower end, is provided with a transversely extending follower pin 96 adapted for engagement in an annular groove 98 in the hub of the shiftable clutch member 66, and at its upper end is connected by means of an eccentric pin 1% with a rock shaft 162 and a hand lever MP4 disposed at one side of the sewing machine base 22. The hand lever iltl4'and rock shaft N2 are adapted to be shifted through 180 of rotation to shift the manual control arm vertically between the raised inoperative position of clutch member 66 illustrated in Fig. 6 and a low position in which the driven clutch member 66 is engaged with the driving clutch element 68.

The mechanism for locking the sewing machine against movement along the table edge comprises an axially shiftable locking pin 106 arranged to slide in a sleeve bracket 108 which is bolted to the side of the machine base 22 and is provided with upwardly extending manually operable stem 110 which passes through a slot 112 in the upper face of the sleeve support 168. When the manual control lever 164 and clutch member 66 are in the raised position shown in Fig. 6, an aperture 114 in the manual control arm 95 is brought into alignment with the plunger pin 106 so that the plunger may be pushed inwardly through the aperture to engage between two adjacent teeth of the driving pinion 50, and thus to lock the pinion against turning movement. With this construction it will be evident that the manual control lever 104 and manual control arm 95 cannot be shifted downwardly to the operating position until after the locking pinion 166 has been fully retracted clear of the aperture 114 in the manual control arm 95.

The sewing machine is supported and guided laterally with relation to the edge of the table by means of a system of cam rollers which engage against the inner and outer faces of the guide rail 26. The said rollers include an inside roller 118 supported to turn on a pivot 124) carried on a bracket 122 which projects inwardly from the base 22 of the sewing machine, between the casters 32 and 34, and between the driving pinion 50 and idler roller 56 by means of which the sprocket chain 46 is guided away from and returned to the line of the table edge. The roller 118 is adapted to ride against the further or inner edge of the horizontally disposed portion of the L-shaped guide rail 26. The guide rollers which engage against the outside surface of the guide rail 26 comprise a pair of rollers including a trailing roller 126 which is disposed below and formed integrally with the sprocket chain return idler roller 56. At each corner the trailing roller 126 is adapted for engagement with a corner cam 128 secured by bolt 130 to the underside of guide rail 26. The sewing machine 20 and base 22 are held outwardly with relation to the guide rail 26 and inside guide roller 118 also by means of a leading guide roller 132 which is spring loaded to exert a thrust against the outer face of guide rail 26 and thereby to bias outwardly the leading edge of the sewing machine 20 and base 22. The leading guide roller 132 is mounted on a. Ver ical pivot 13% on a lever 3136 which at its opposite ems-s4 end is mounted to turn on apivot 1'38. An outward thrust is'imparted to the leading guide roller 132 and lever arm 136 by means of a compression spring 140 coiled about a shaft 142 between the pivotal connection thereof with lever arm 136 and a guide bracket 144 through which the free end of the shaft 142 is guided 'and which is secured to the sewing machine base 22.

With the arrangement shown the yieldable pressure exerted by the leading guide roller 132 tends to rock the sewing machine base 22 in a counterclockwise direction as shown for example in Fig. 2 about a pivot point provided by the inside cam roller 118. The bias thus imparted to the sewing machine base about the inner guide roller 118 in a counterclockwise direction as shown in Fig. 2 causes the flanged edge 148 of the trailing caster 32 to be brought strongly into engagement with the outside edge of the guide rail 26. The exact in and out position ofthe caster 32 is controlled by means of stop screw 150 which is mounted on a fixed portion of the sewing machine base 22 and engages-with and positively prevents the caster arm 26 from swinging in a clockwise direction beyond the right angle position shown specifically in Fig. 2.

The illustrated construction, which includes specifically the stationary sprocket chain and guide rollers in the base of the machine for deflecting the chain from and for returning the chain to a position adjacent the table edge including a driving pinion about which the sprocket chain has a substantial angle of wrap, has made possible a substantial simplification and improvement of the supporting and guiding devices for the sewing machine, for the reason that a positive and certain drive is provided for the machine which is entirely independent of the devices for supporting and guiding the machine about the table edge. Particularly in turning the table corners there is a substantial advantage .in that it is no longer necessary to provide for an accurate cam control of turning movements of the sewing machine in order to maintain engagement of the machine driving pinion with a sprocket chain or rack fixedly secured at the table edge.

With the present constructionthe trailing guide roller 1'26 iscau'sed to ride onto a contoured cam surface as it approaches the corner. Thisjcamsurface, however, is

flattened out at the opposite side of the corner and the position of the sewing machine is controlled in part by the take-up actionof the chain, take-up roller 52 and in part by the operation of the spring'loaded leading guide roller 132 which has-the effect of biasing the machine in a counterclockwise direction about the inside guide roller 1118 as a pivot against the flange 148 of the trailing caster 32- adjustably locatedas shown in Fig. 2 against set screw 150. g

There is also shown in Fig. l of the drawings a mechanism for raising and lowering the table 24 with relation to the table legs 34 As best shown in this figure, the table top. 24 is supported at each corner on a vertical" post160 which is threaded at its lower end to sleeve element 162 rotatably mounted in the leg 30. For convenience of illustration the sleeve 162 as shown in Fig. 1 has secured thereto a worm gear 164 which is driven by a worm 166 connected to the drive shaft of a reversible electric motor 168. It is assumed that each of the four corners of the table top 24 is similarly supported by means of a vertical post, not here shown, which is carried by a sleeve support rotatably mounted in the associated table leg in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The four sleeves 162 are driven as a unit by means of a chain 170 which extends entirely around the edge of the table and is carried on sprockets 172 formed on the upper end of each of the threaded sleeve members 162. The motor 168 is driven in one direction or the other to raise or to lower the table as desired by means of a direction switch 174 which is mounted on the underside of the table and is provided with a direction switch lever 176 adapted to be actuated by a control cord 178 which 6 extends entirely around the edge of the table, being suitably supported at each corner in an'eye 180., The cord 178 is so arranged that it may be grasped and moved endwise in either direction by'the operator from any posi tion about the table edge. Movement of the cord 178 and switch lever 176 in one direction from a neutral position will energize the motor 168 to move the table down. Movement of the cord in an opposite direction from the intermediate neutral position will drive the motor in the opposite direction to move the table up.

The invention having been described what is claimed 1. In combination, a sewing machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similararticle and a generally rectangular work supporting table, guiding and supporting means on the machine and table by which the machine is moved about the table edge, a driving device for advancing the machine around the table edge which comprises a stationary sprocket chain extending about thetable edge, and fixed sprockets spaced about the. table edge with which said chain is meshed, chain engaging roller means mounted within the machine around which the chain is guided from and returned to the table edge and fixed sprocket meshing position during movement; of the machine around the table, including a yieldably acting take-up roller about which. the

sprocket chain is looped, and a driving pinion, and means for driving said driving pinion to advance the machine along the table edge.

2. In combination, a sewing machinefor operating along the edge of a mattress or similar article and a generally rectangular work supporting table, guiding and sup-porting means on the machine and table by which the machine is moved about the table edge, a

driving device for advancing the machine around the table edge which comprises a stationary sprocket chain extending about the table edge, and fixed sprockets spaced about the table edge with which said chain is meshed, chain engaging rollerv means mounted within the machine around which the chain isguided from and returned to the table edge and fixed sprocket meshing position during movement of the machine around the table, including a'driving pinion located to engage with and deflect the chain from the table edge position during movement of the machine around the table, a take-up roller about whichthe sprocket chain is looped arranged to take-up slack in the chain, and an idler roller located to return thech'ain to the table edge and fixed sprocket meshing position, andwmea'nsfor driving the driving pinion to advancethe machine alongthe table edge.

3. In combination, a sewing machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similararticle and a generally rectangular work supporting table, guiding and supporting means on the machine and table by which the machine is moved about the edge of, the table,

.a guide rail extending about the table edge, an'inside cam follower. positioning roller engaging an inner face fixed sprocket meshing position during movement of the machine around the table, including a driving pinion having a multiple tooth engagement with said chain, a yieldably acting take-up roller about which the sprocket chain is looped and means for driving said driving pinion to advance the machine along the table edge.

4. In a machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similar article having a rectangular work supporting table, and guiding and supporting means on which the machine is moved about the edge of the table, the combination of a guide rail having an L-shape in cross section and with a substantial radius at each corner of the table extending about the table edge, an inside positioning roller engaging the inner edge of said guide rail, an outside trailing positioning roller, corner cams curved outwardly at the approach side of each corner and having a flattened portion at the opposite side of each corner engaging said trailing positioning roller, a spring loaded outside leading positioning roller engaging the outer face of said guide rail, a trailing machine supporting swiveling caster having a flanged outer edge arranged to ride on the upper edge of said guide rail, a stop element on the machine limiting outward movement of said caster against the bias imparted to the machine about said inside positioning roller by said spring loaded leading outside positioning roller, a leading machine supporting swiveling caster arranged to ride on the upper edge of said guide rail, a stationary driving sprocket chain extending about the table edge, and fixed sprockets at each corner of the table on which the chain is mounted, a plurality of rollers including a driving pinion around which the chain is guided from and returned to its table edge position, and means for driving said driving pinion to advance the machine along the table edge.

5. In combination a sewing machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similar article and a generally rectangular Wo'rk supporting table, guiding and supporting means on the machine and table by which the table is moved about the table edge, a driving device for advancing the machine about the table edge which comprises a stationary sprocket chain extending about the table edge, and fixed sprockets spaced about the table edge at each corner with which said chain is meshed, guide roller means mounted within the machine including a chain engaging pinion around which the chain is guided from and returned to the table edge and spro'cket meshing position, and a yieldably acting take-up roller about which the sprocket chain is looped, driving means including a driving clutch connected between said driving means and said driving pinion for driving the driving pinion to advance the machine along the table edge, a manually shiftable control member connected with the clutch and movable with the clutch between driving and clutch disco'nnected positions, said control member having an aperture formed therein, and a lock-stop device comprising a locking pin mounted on the machine in alignment with said aperture only for the disengaged position of said manual control member and clutch for movement through said aperture into locking engagement with said control member and with the driving pinion.

6. In combination, a sewing machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similar article and a generally rectangular work supporting table, guiding and supporting means on the machine and table by which the machine is moved about the edge of the table, a guide rail having straight portions extending along the sides of the table and a substantial radius at each corner of the table, including a top machine supporting surface, inner and outer face guide surfaces adjacent said top surface and an inner positioning face surface spaced inwardly of the table from said top machine supporting surface, an inside positioning roller supported from the machine engaging said inner positioning face surface, a pair of leading and trailing machine supporting casters riding on said top machine supporting surface having flanged inner and outer edges overlying said inner and outer guide surfaces, and swivelled on said machine for movement toward and away from the table, adjustable means on the machine limiting said outward movement of the casters to insure engagement of the casters with the outer face guide surface and correspondingly to engage the inner positioning face surface of said straight portions of said rail to prevent rotational movements of the machine.

7. A machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similar article in combination with a rectangular work supporting table, and guiding and supporting means on which the machine is moved about the edge of the table according to claim 6, in which additional guiding means is provided operative only at the table co'rners for controlling the rotation of the machine comprising cam means including an outside machine positioning corner cam at each corner, and a pair of leading and trailing outside positioning rollers, at least one of which is idled during movement of the machine along said straight edges and acts only against said corner cams.

8. A machine for operating along the edge of a mattress or similar article in combination with a rectangular work supporting table, and guiding and supporting means on which the machine is moved about the edge of the table according to claim 6, in which guiding means is provided for controlling the angular position of the machine at the table corners comprising a normally inactive trailing outside positioning roller, a positioning cam at each of said corners arranged for engagement with said trailing outside positioning roller, and a spring loaded outside leading positioning roller engaging said outer face guide surface tending to bias the leading side of said machine outwardly and thereby to retain said trailing outside positioning roller against the corner cam during the movement of the machine about each of said corners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,185,251 Goldberg Jan. 2, 1940 2,518,147 Johnson et a1. Aug. 8, 1950 2,609,768 Cash et a1. Sept. 9, 1952 2,695,281 Work Nov. 30, 1954 2,841,093 Camp July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 693,556 Germany July 13, 1940 979,217 France Apr. 24, 1951 

